In George Orwell’s book Animal Farm, a new political party called Animalism is formed within the animal society. This party is not only similar to Communism in theory but also in practice. The name Animalism bears a resemblance to Communism in terms of pronunciation. However, Animalism encompasses much more than just its name, evoking thoughts of Communism.
The concept of Animalism was first introduced by Old Major, a highly regarded and established member of the farm. In an impactful speech, he communicates his vision for a farm where animals are no longer subordinate to humans and where equality reigns. He dismisses the notion that humans and animals share mutual interests or that their well-being mutually benefits each other, labeling it as deceitful propaganda. Instead, he promotes solidarity and companionship among the animals, asserting that all men are foes while all animals are comrades. Regrettably, Old Major’s aspirations for Animalism do not materialize as he had envisioned.
Karl Marx, an esteemed and influential sociologist, is the main creator of the concept of Communism. He expressed his notions about Communism in a well-known book titled The Communist Manifesto, which advocated for a society without social classes where all individuals are regarded as equal. Nevertheless, his influence in its original form was relatively short-lived.
The creators of Animalism and Communism shared many similarities. Both ideologies advocated for equality among individuals (in the case of Animalism, animals) and believed that everyone should be on equal terms. Furthermore, both ideologies faced challenges as their original intentions became distorted by misinterpretations from others.
After Old Major’s speech, he died and the animals on his farm quickly embraced his teachings, known as Animalism. However, the pigs, who were the main ones to adopt his teachings, misunderstood them. Despite the animals’ strict adherence to their own interpretation of Old Major’s teachings.
The adherents of Marx, much like the devotees of Old Major, misconstrued the teachings transmitted to them by Marx through his research and writings, resulting in a disastrous misinterpretation of his ideology. Nonetheless, they flawlessly pursued their own rendition of his doctrine.
Both political movements suffered from the inconvenience of misinterpreting the original teachings of their respective creators. The followers of these movements, with good intentions, mistakenly misunderstood the teachings of their leaders. Despite their incorrect understanding, they diligently adhered to what they believed were the correct teachings. However, this changed when someone started corrupting the system’s functioning.
Over time, two leaders emerged from the general populous of the farm. Snowball and Napoleon disagreed frequently, leading to arguments and inefficiency. Ultimately, Napoleon forcefully oust Snowball whom he perceived as a threat to his own vision for the farm’s management. After Snowball’s departure, Napoleon took to blaming him for any mishaps. Those who remained loyal to Snowball were forcefully expelled from the farm, either through execution or being run off.
Both Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin emerged as leaders in the Communist society, but their constant clashes and arguments led to a lack of efficiency within the Communist party. Eventually, Stalin forcefully expelled Trotsky from the country. Subsequently, Stalin started blaming Trotsky for any problems occurring in the country. Those who continued to support Trotsky were ruthlessly expelled from the country without mercy.
Both Stalin and Napoleon share numerous similarities. They both used force to eliminate their rivals and subsequently utilized them as scapegoats for any negative occurrences within their respective countries or farms. Additionally, they employed force to eradicate the remaining followers of their rivals following their elimination.
Napoleon employed dogs as a formidable force for his protection. In addition to guarding him, these dogs were utilized to intimidate other farm members and played a crucial role in eliminating Snowball from the farm.
Stalin relied on the KGB, a clandestine agency, for both his personal security and political agenda. Initially, the KGB was responsible for expelling Trotsky from the country, and later it was employed to eliminate Stalin’s opponents. Beyond its protective role, the KGB instilled terror within the population under Stalin’s rule.
Both Stalin and Napoleon employed a group to safeguard themselves. These groups had multiple purposes, including eliminating the leader’s adversaries and ensuring the leader’s safety. These resemblances are readily apparent.
Both Animalism and Communism share striking similarities in terms of their leaders and their methods of operation. These two political ideas demonstrate various other similarities, yet the aforementioned aspects hold utmost significance and are readily apparent.
